This invention relates generally to spectacles, and more particularly to a rimless frame for a pair of spectacles wherein each lens is held by a rim and thin wire.
The use of a thin wire for supporting the bottom half of a spectacle lens effectively reduces the weight of the frame and spectacles. Additionally, the absence of a conventional thick rim supporting the lower half of the lenses makes the spectacle frame easier to fit to a wearer's face. Conventional rim and wire spectacle frames utilize a wire formed of a nylon, other plastic material, Ni-Cr alloy, stainless steel, or other metallic material. Japanese Laid Open Specification No. 54-163,052, assigned to the same assignee as the subject application, discloses a rimless frame for glasses wherein the lenses are held in position by a super-elastic wire. During use, nylon wire stretches so that the lens tends to fall out of the frame. A metallic wire is generally not elastic so it is not suitable for use wherein there is deviation in dimensions due to processing a lens or the groove in a spectacle rim.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a spectacle frame including a rim and thin wire for supporting the lower half of the lens which does not suffer from the shortcomings of the prior art.